Versatile system for integrated circuit containing shielded inductor

Abstract

A versatile system for reducing electromagnetic interference resulting from an inductor ( 300 ) formed within an integrated circuit is disclosed, including an inductor layer ( 310 ) having conductive elements ( 326 ) about its perimeter, first ( 306 ) and second ( 308 ) isolation layers disposed upon on opposite sides of the inductor layer and having conductive elements ( 326 ) about their perimeters, and first ( 302 ) and second ( 304 ) shield layers surrounding the first and second isolation layers, respectively, and coupled together by the conductive elements ( 326 ) of the isolation and inductor layers.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An integrated circuit comprising: 
       a first isolation layer having an inner surface and an outer surface;  
       a second isolation layer having an inner surface and an outer surface;  
       an inductor disposed between the inner surfaces of the first and second isolation layers;  
       a first shield layer having a first group of mutually electrically isolated conductive traces disposed upon the outer surface of the first isolation layer; and  
       a second shield layer having a second group of mutually electrically isolated conductive traces disposed upon the outer surface of the second isolation layer, wherein said first group of mutually electrically isolated conductive traces are connected to said second group of mutually electrically isolated conductive traces through conductive elements distributed along an outer perimeter of the first isolation layer and an outer perimeter of the second isolation layer.  
     
     
       2. The integrated circuit of  claim 1  wherein the inductor is a spiral inductor. 
     
     
       3. The integrated circuit of  claim 2  wherein the inductor is a square spiral inductor. 
     
     
       4. The integrated circuit of  claim 2  wherein the inductor is a helical spiral inductor. 
     
     
       5. The integrated circuit of  claim 1  wherein the inductor is formed of aluminum. 
     
     
       6. The integrated circuit of  claim 1  wherein the isolation layers are formed of a semiconductor material. 
     
     
       7. The integrated circuit of  claim 1  wherein the isolation layers are formed of air. 
     
     
       8. The integrated circuit of  claim 1  wherein the shield layers are formed of a material having low resistivity. 
     
     
       9. The integrated circuit of  claim 8  wherein the shield layers are formed of aluminum. 
     
     
       10. The integrated circuit of  claim 8  wherein the shield layers are formed of copper. 
     
     
       11. The integrated circuit of  claim 1  wherein the conductive traces in said first and second shield layers are formed orthogonal to the flow of Eddy currents induced therein by the inductor. 
     
     
       12. The integrated circuit of  claim 1  further comprising vias distributed along each of the outer perimeters of the first and second isolation layers, wherein said vias are filled with said conductive elements. 
     
     
       13. A device for reducing electromagnetic interference within an integrated circuit having an inductor, comprising: 
       an inductor layer having said inductor;  
       a first and a second isolation layers disposed upon on opposite sides of the inductor layer;  
       a first and a second shield layers each having a plurality of mutually electrically isolated conductive traces, wherein the first and second isolation layers and the inductor layer are sandwiched between said first and second shield layers; and  
       conductive elements distributed along perimeters of the inductor layer and the first and second isolation layers,  
       wherein the conductive traces of the first shield layer are connected to the conductive traces of the second shield layer through said conductive elements.  
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 13  wherein the inductor comprises a spiral inductor. 
     
     
       15. The device of  claim 13  wherein the inductor comprises a polygonal inductor. 
     
     
       16. The device of  claim 13  wherein the isolation layers comprise a semiconductor material. 
     
     
       17. The device of  claim 13  wherein the shield layers comprise a low resistivity material. 
     
     
       18. The device of  claim 13  wherein the conductive traces of the first and second shield layers are formed orthogonal to the flow of Eddy current induced therein by the inductor.